Exceptions to fibro fog?

Does anyone here have fibro fog in most situations, but then there's a few exceptions?

I've had fibro for 15 years. My job is professional programmer. As you can imagine, this requires concentration and memory. I definitely was not the sharpest guy at work, but I was okay. So I never thought I had fibro fog.

Then recently I started doing some new work, which involves a lot of meetings and reports. I find that I have to write down every single thing I need to do. I am completely hazy and forgetful. I can talk to someone, get an action item, then completely forget that item ten minutes later, only to be reminded by someone else weeks later that I never did it. I really feel impaired now.

I have a friend with more severe fibro than me. She can barely function, she is so hazy. However, when she watches a movie, she concentrates like a laser beam and catches every little detail. She was always fascinated by stories, films, and language subtleties long before she developed fibro.

When a person has spent most of their lives developing a high degree of concentration in one particular area (me: programming, her: movies) it seems that doesn't completely break down when you get fibro.

linkin, I think you are right. Appointments were the first things I forgot. Then I started asking the kids the same exact questions over and over and I started telling the same stories over and over. I was type A nonstop action before this stuff hit--I wasn't used to having to take notes for anything. But you are right, the note taking is now a part of life if you are to meet the expectations. All else I can say is coming up with a way to organize those notes by categories is helpful (i.e., organized by people so when you see that person next time, you know exactly what they are walking in expecting to hear from you). With me, the fog involves mostly short-term memory. If you learn something new in programming, does it still stick like it used to?